Differentiating behavioural styles in cases of violent knife crime in England and Wales

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Purpose Knife-enabled crime in England and Wales has increased by 7% in the year ending December 2023. Such increases in incidents are cause for concern due to the potential for significant injury and loss of life. This study aims to propose a model of differentiation of offending across 70 cases of violent knife crime (VKC) committed in England and Wales between 2015 and 2020 to inform preventative strategies. Design/methodology/approach Incident data was collected from online news articles and offender, victim and offence characteristics were recorded. Characteristics were subject to a non-metric multi-dimensional scaling procedure, smallest space analysis (SSA) to differentiate behavioural styles. Findings Regional interpretation of the SSA identified three distinct themes (Intimate Partner Violence, Gang-Influenced and Reactive Violence) that related to distinct styles of offending. Classification according to identified offence theme was possible for 69% of cases. Findings are discussed with reference to Social Identity Approach and Criminal Narrative Theory. Potential future research is discussed with recognition of the need to further differentiate offending behaviour in cases of reactive violence. Practical implications The theorical and practical implications are discussed with consideration of how the findings may inform preventative strategies as part of a public health approach. Originality/value While SSA has been used to differentiate behavioural styles across several types of crime, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first instance in which the method has been used to differentiate behavioural styles across cases of VKC.